“Reading Archival Latin”
Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar
20 —23 May 2024 • Remote
The Summer Skills Seminar, “Reading Archival Latin,” formerly, “Introduction to the Archive of the Crown of Aragon (documents in Latin to ca. 1350)” will be held via Zoom from Monday, 20 May to Thursday, 23 May from 10am to noon and 1–3pm MDT. This year’s Skills Seminar will feature all new documents.
Course overview
The Archive of the Crown of Aragon (ACA) in Barcelona contains one of the largest and richest archival collections relating to medieval Europe, comprising hundreds of thousands of documents, most from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries, and including financial records, royal letters, administrative documents, trial records, treaties, and many other genres. The documentation can be used for a whole range of topics including social, economic, political, institutional, gender, diplomatic, cultural and religious history.
The territories of the Crown of Aragon included much of the Iberian Peninsula, parts of southern France, Sicily and southern Italy, parts of Tunisia and Greece, the Balearics, Sardinia and other Mediterranean islands. It had a large and diverse urban population, was highly integrated into Mediterranean and European trade systems, and had significant populations of Muslims and Jews. It developed one of the earliest and most robust chanceries of medieval Europe; the collections of which have weathered the vicissitudes of history all but intact. Much of the documentation has yet to be used by historians. The skills seminar will focus on the Latin-language documentation (from the eleventh to the mid-fourteenth centuries) in the archive’s collections.
This four-day intensive skills seminar will focus on a hands-on introduction to reading unedited Latin documents from a variety of the archive’s fonds and provide participants with an overview of the collections of the ACA, including access to online resources and reproductions.
Topics will include: manuscript abbreviations, dating systems, place and personal names, and research resources and techniques. As much as possible the content will be catered to participants’ interests and needs. Medievalists of all disciplines, graduate students, and qualified undergraduate students, as well as library and archival professionals are encouraged to apply.
The goal is to provides attendees with a solid preparation for conducting work remotely via the PARES web portal and on-site at the ACA. Participants will find the skills and techniques which the course focuses on useful not only at the Archive of the Crown but at other medieval archives across Spain and Europe.
This Summer Skills Seminar builds on the experience of earlier editions, which participants signaled as “transformative” in terms of their research, and which provided them with an opportunity to network and lay the foundations for future collaborations. For information and participant reviews of our former Skills Seminars.
Faculty
The course will be conducted by Prof. Brian A. Catlos (Religious Studies, CU Boulder). A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Medieval Studies (Phd, 2000) and now a historian of pre-Modern Spain and the Mediterranean, Catlos has been using the collections of the ACA since 1995, primarily for research into the social and economic history of the Crown of Aragon and Muslim-Christian-Jewish relations.
Previous Participants:
“Dr. Catlos is a very patient instructor who knows the ACA and Latin very well. He understands that the subject matter is difficult to grasp, and he is always willing to help out the class and take lots of time on difficult words.”
“I really have to recommend this especially for grad students, whether or not they are able to travel to state or municipal archives abroad. Both the paleography instruction and the discussions of archives are something I wish I had in grad school, myself, and are extremely translatable to different contexts (although they may not know it beforehand).”
“I'm really thankful to Prof. Catlos for delivering information in a concise yet comprehensive way. It was a good class and it helped me advance my paleographic skills.”
“I felt the course was both extremely engaging and challenging. Through the intensive four hour a day study, I feel like I gained a wonderful baseline to continue to build the skill of archival reading, as well as the resources and techniques to make the task less daunting as I pursue it further.”
“Brian's deep knowledge of the archive and the region was critical to making sense of the documents. I especially appreciated how he used direct encouragement when reading difficult documents, and provided context on how reading skills develop throughout an academic's career. I also appreciated that he kept to time while moving through so much material, and that the reading sessions were kept short - they're intense but so rewarding!”
“The course was a great introduction to archival work generally, and ACA specifically, for grad students. I wish I had had something similar when I was doing my PhD! I was impressed that it was also pitched at a level that benefitted faculty who had either been away from archival work for some time, or weren't familiar with the ACA and its hands. I would absolutely recommend it for people at various career stages.”
Fees
$1000 for Full Professors, Librarians & Professionals
$750 for tenured Associates, Emerita/us, Retired Faculty, Independent Scholars & Non-Academics;
$500 for non-tenured Associates and Assistants & Graduate and Undergraduate students;
$350 for Adjuncts, Lecturers & Contingent faculty.
Members of University of Colorado departments may be eligible for a discount.
Applicants who are (1) nationals; (2) current residents; (3) AND faculty or students in low-per-capita GDP countries may apply for a reduction (please see below).
Payment information will be provided at the time of acceptance. Posted fees do not include a 5% processing fee. NB - fees have not changed since 2017, we anticipate an increase of 10% for 2025.
Application & Information
Applicants should have at least an intermediate level of reading Latin. Those wishing to bone-up on their Latin fluency in advance of the course are encouraged to read the Latin Vulgate and review declensions and conjugations.
Please note: sessions will not be recorded; synchronous attendance is required.
The regular application period is until April 15.
Applicants will be advised of acceptance on April 21. Payment of no less than 50% of the course tuition is due on April 28, with the balance due on May 7. Applicants waiting on a grant or subvention may request an extension for the second payment.
Late applicants may be accommodated if space remains. Full payment will be due within three days of acceptance, including a $50 surcharge for late applications.
All payments are final and non-refundable. A letter of confirmation/ receipt will be provided by the Mediterranean Seminar.
For sample documents, see the bottom of this page.
Apply via this form. [download poster]
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
For further information or inquiries, contact Brian Catlos (brian.catlos@colorado.edu; subject: “Summer Skills Information”).
Program
Monday, 20 May 2024
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. The History & Structure of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon
2. Pergaminos/Pergamins
Tuesday, 21 May 2024
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. The Royal Chancery: The Registers
2. Reading the Registers
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. Royal Letters
2. Using Royal Letters
Thursday, 23 May 2024
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. Beyond the Chancery
2. Research techniques
Sample documents and transcriptions
1) ACA, C., reg. 139, f. 303v – transcription
2) ACA, C., reg. 232, f. 80v–81r – transcription
3) ACA, C., reg. 304, f. 19r – transcription
